German Institute for Human Rights’ Post

What would happen if courts and their representatives would become lobbyists? In his latest article (in German) for the Swiss economic newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft News our executive chairman Michael von Liechtenstein explores this question. The independence of courts and their representatives is a key element of a functioning rule of law. Judiciary must take place within an ordinary legal framework and be based on an emancipated decision-making. Recognizing the separation of powers means that case law must adhere to this. Nonetheless, it is evident that courts are repeatedly challenged in this respect by the attempts to instrumentalise them for politically motivated manoeuvres. The danger exists that courts undermine existing law with their decisions and create new, "judge-made" law, while at the same time jeopardizing their own credibility by deviating from their actual claim to independence. There are recent examples that illustrate this. Particularly, international courts and their representatives can of course make independent judgements, but they may not challenge national legal systems and handle unilaterally decisions as compelling fundamental decisions for all. Rather, they can dismiss a claim on the basis of inadequate facts and pass the ball back to the right players. This way, they avoid being drawn into politically motivated conflicts. https://lnkd.in/dRpDUsbJ #wealthpreservation #wealthmanagement #politics #economy #society #ruleoflaw

The whole world is watching the US election campaign with excitement and tension, debating the future that the United States is inevitably heading towards. I had the opportunity to participate in the Washington Summer Symposium organized by the Universität Regensburg and the Osgood Center for International Studies to discuss these issues with top-class experts from politics, science, business and journalism. I was also able to immerse myself in the mood in the country shortly before the elections. In my article "Lucky to live in a time of change" for the Banziana of the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, I describe my experiences and insights. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/denN_yAM

Хотите присоединиться к этой группе?Dear world community! Volgograd regional public organization for the promotion of upbringing and education of the younger generation "Knowledge - strength and dignity" (http:// www. vroo-zsila.ru ) continues to develop an exclusive international project: "EARTH - PEACE, JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS". The purpose of the project is to draw the UN's attention to the need to implement the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by Resolution 217 A (III) of the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948). "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" (Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by UN General Assembly Resolution No. 2200 A (XXI) dated 12/16/1966). The preamble to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (hereinafter: the Covenant) states that the States parties to the present Covenant recognize that, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of a free human person enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want can be realized only if such conditions are created conditions under which everyone can enjoy their economic, social and cultural rights, as well as their civil and political rights. It follows from the text of the Covenant that none of the articles or provisions of the Covenant establish a systemic relationship with the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by resolution 217 A (III) of the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948). Thus, the Covenant asserts the non-binding implementation of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by resolution 217 A (III) The UN General Assembly of December 10, 1948). This fact proves that the Pact deprives the citizens of the world of protecting their rights in accordance with the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by resolution 217 A (III) of the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948). Thus, the Pact limits the ability of the international community to work together to protect human rights and end armed conflicts. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on the international community to act together (see file). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres needs to specify regulatory and legislative acts that will ensure the full participation of the international community in the observance of civil and political rights in the world.

📰 Check out ITEM-researcher Martin Unfried's insightful column in the Tageszeitung Berlin! He challenges the typical portrayal of the EU in German media, debunking myths of bureaucracy and democratic deficits. Unfried highlights the proactive role of the European Parliament, showcasing initiatives like cross-border coordination for border commuters and environmental legislation. He also critiques the superficial EU election coverage in Germany and calls for deeper engagement with EU politics. 🇪🇺 Read the full article via https://lnkd.in/eUKr_KrY (German only) #EU #Politics #Democracy #EuropeanParliament #TageszeitungBerlin

I am proud to be part of PEN Club Austria. We are collaberating with other writer's associations as a platform of Austrian and South Tyrolean authors' associations Der Wert der Demokratie (The Value of Democracy). It sees itself as an institution to clearly and emphatically oppose political actors who want to disavow the democratic system through slander, agitation, lies and deception. Ingratiation with misanthropic discourse, the instrumentalization of resentment, references to the language of the Nazi era and the use of loaded terms should be contextualized and prevented from being trivialized. The platform opposes linguistic and social brutalization, speaks out with fundamental statements and enters into dialogue with all those who resist this development. The members of The Value of Democracy platform jointly develop and formulate texts on social requirements and social orientation and present them for general discussion. The platform is in contact with NGOs and civil society initiatives that are committed to democracy and human rights. It counters any attacks on the freedom of art, defamation of the media and the misuse of social media. The aim is to provide substantial answers to contemporary issues. https://lnkd.in/ds-aRakc #humanrights #penclubaustria #penclub #gav #igautoren #ösv #democracy #austria #poweroftheword #politics

Хотите присоединиться к этой группе?Dear world community! Volgograd regional public organization for the promotion of upbringing and education of the younger generation "Knowledge - strength and dignity" (http:// www. vroo-zsila.ru ) continues to develop an exclusive international project: "EARTH - PEACE, JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS". The purpose of the project is to draw the UN's attention to the need to implement the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by Resolution 217 A (III) of the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948). "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" (Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by UN General Assembly Resolution No. 2200 A (XXI) dated 12/16/1966). The preamble to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (hereinafter: the Covenant) states that the States parties to the present Covenant recognize that, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of a free human person enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want can be realized only if such conditions are created conditions under which everyone can enjoy their economic, social and cultural rights, as well as their civil and political rights. It follows from the text of the Covenant that none of the articles or provisions of the Covenant establish a systemic relationship with the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by resolution 217 A (III) of the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948). Thus, the Covenant asserts the non-binding implementation of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by resolution 217 A (III) The UN General Assembly of December 10, 1948). This fact proves that the Pact deprives the citizens of the world of protecting their rights in accordance with the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Adopted by resolution 217 A (III) of the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948). Thus, the Pact limits the ability of the international community to work together to protect human rights and end armed conflicts. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on the international community to act together (see file). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres needs to specify regulatory and legislative acts that will ensure the full participation of the international community in the observance of civil and political rights in the world.

How do we escape the crisis mode in politics? And are we too scared of our democracy? Not long ago, I had the opportunity to submit an essay for the first FMP Call for Essays – 'Wege aus dem Krisenmodus' (Ways out of crisis mode). Now, my piece is published on the Freiheit Macht Politik website for everyone to read. In my essay, I discuss the thesis that the only sustainable way out of the crisis mode relies on further democratization of the political process. I hope you will enjoy the read and find some interesting thoughts for yourself. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss any argument. https://lnkd.in/eCtPBrrv #democracy #trust #crisis #change #EU #GermanPolitics #governance

My contribution to the 2023 European Yearbook on Human Rights is finally available online! The article critically analyses the interpretative technique that the ECtHR has used in its jurisprudence on access to abortion, and proposes a feminist interpretation of ECHR's relevant provisions. Although such an interpretation would require the Court to overcome the boundaries of the rules on treaty interpretation, implementing it in its jurisprudence would not render its interpretation any more subjective than it already is. If you are interested, you can find the article here:

Weiter geht's! Save the Date 📢 Hannes Rusch (Max-Planck-Institut Freiburg) referiert heute zum Thema „High minority power facilitates democratization across ethnic fault lines“. ➡️ Worum geht's? "The historical record knows only few instances of democracies waging war against each other. Therefore, democratization is considered key in achieving global peace. However, efforts to achieve sustained democratic governance often fail—Afghanistan being a recent example. Democratization appears particularly challenging where grievances between ethnic groups can spill over into democratic institutions and obstruct the negotiation of mutually beneficial compromises. So far, research on democratization vis-à-vis preexisting ethnic conflict has relied on correlational evidence and historical case studies, making it hard to establish causality. Here, we complement previous work with an economic lab-in-the-field experiment modeling a situation in which unequal groups with ongoing ethnic tensions can solve a joint allocation problem either democratically or aggressively. We find that, as theoretically predicted, minority groups are much more likely to opt for inefficient aggression, but also that equipping minorities with high power under the democratic allocation procedure substantially reduces this problem. Removing ethnic hostility subtly shifts participants’ beliefs but does not reduce aggressive behavior. Thus, our results demonstrate that well-designed democratic institutions can achieve efficient, peaceful outcomes even when intergroup hostility is prevalent. However, we also see that their success vitally depends on their inclusivity towards the interests of minority groups." ➡️ Zeit: Donnerstag, 25.04.24, von 14.00 – 15.30 Uhr ➡️ Ort: Seminarraum 01012 (Rempartstraße 16, 1. OG) Dr. Rusch steht am Tag des Vortrags für bilaterale Gespräche zur Verfügung zu stehen. Bitte senden Sie eine E-Mail an germain.gaudin@econ.uni-freiburg.de, wenn Sie interessiert sind.

A Forum of Mayors (30 September – 1 October 2024) entitled “The Cities Summit of the Future” will be held, by UNECE, in Geneva, immediately after the UN Summit of and Pact for the Future, in New York. It is hoped that Mayors of cities, large and small, especially in the session dedicated to transforming global governance, will also take into account the contribution they can make to implementing Universal Periodic Review recommendations.  Indeed, while accepted by the State, some of those recommendations require Cities’ direct involvement to ensure concrete follow up action.  As the UN Human Rights Council has adopted several resolutions on the role of Local Government and Human Rights (most recently HRC res 51/12 in 2022), important specific advice is provided by the Geneva-based Global Cities Hub on these matters, including through a leaflet on the role of Local and Regional Governments in the UPR. https://lnkd.in/dmVJS7z7